Washing machine



Jan. 20,1942. H. F. BARIFFI 2,270,750

WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 29, 1940 Inventor"? Herbert F. Bar'iffi by 19244 6.

His Attorneu.

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 WASHING MACHINE Herbert F. Barifli, Hamden, Coma, assi ;n=' to General Electric Company, a corpor tion of New York Application February 29, 1940, Serial No. 321,505

(on. ss-1s) 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to washing machines in which the washing liquid is continuously filtered during washing.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement for filtering the washing liquid, and for a consideration of what I believe to be'novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a sectional elevation of a washing machine embodying my invention in section on line II of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a' top plan view of the tub, partly broken away; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the agitator hub, partly broken away.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a washing machine having an outer casing I provided with supporting casters 2, and a cover 3. Within the upper part of the casing and above the normal liquid level therein is a rotatable tub 4 having a hub 5 and bottom and side walls 6 and I. The bottom wall 6 rests on a flange 8 integral with a sleeve 9 fixed to the hub 5 and is fixed to the sleeve 9 by a snap ring Ill fitting in a groove on the outside of the sleeve and clamping the bottom wall against, the flange 8. The side walls I flare outward and upward from the bottom wall 8 and terminate at their upper edges in an offset rim II, providing a shoulder I2 on which is seated a ring I3 carrying an annular filter ll of cloth or wire mesh screen. At the charge in opposite directions and the side walls of the rings I3 and I5 direct the streams towardand in opposition to each other, there is no net circulation of liquid around the filter. If only one nozzle were provided, the discharge would cause the liquid on the filter to circulate in the direction of flow of the stream and the circulation .of the liquid would decrease the rate of flow through the filter and would tend to keep particles of dirt entrained in the liquid on the filter. If the filter were partially clogged, iiquid might spill over the upper edge of the ring I3- returning the liquid to the outer casing. Due to the absence of circulation around the filter in through the filter is accordingly increased. Be-

inner edge of-the filter is a ring I5 flaring upward and outward from the filter and terminating in a rounded edge I6 above the upper edge of thering I3. The ring I5 provides an opening through which clothes may be inserted or removed from the tub. During washing, liquid is circulatedfrom the bottom of the casing I by a pump II having its inlet connected by a conduit I3 to a drain opening I9 in the bottom wall 20 of the casing and having itsdischarge connected to a conduit 2| extending up along the outside of the casing I and in through a slot 22 in the edge of the cover 3. The discharge end of the conduit 2| is connected to a T-shaped coupling 23 terminating in oppositely facing nozzles 24 and 25. The nozzles discharge streams of liquid tangential to and directly against the upper surface of the filter I4, the streams being directed in opposite directions around the filter in the channel formed by the rings I3 and I5.

low the filter I4 is an annular guard ring 26 having a downwardly extending flange 21 at its outer edge fixed to theinner surface of the tub side walls I and an upwardly extending flange 28 at its inner edge directly below the inner edge of the ring I5. At or slightly above the liquid level in the tub are openings 21a. extending through the flange 21 and the side walls I. These openings, being in the region of greatest diameter, serve as discharge openings during centrifugal drying. The openings also serve to some extent as overflow openings for maintaining the liquid level inthe tub. Intermediate the fianges 21 and 28 the guard ring 26 tapers inwardly and upwardly and cooperates with the tub side walls I to provide a trough 29 directly below the filter I4 to which the filter drains. At a plurality of points around the tub, the side and bottom walls are bent inward to form grooves 30 cooperating with strips 3| secured to the outside of the side and bottom walls to provide channels 32 communicating at their upper ends with the trough Each of the streams discharged from the nozzles tends'to move the liquid on the filter away from the point of impingement and in the direction of 29 and extending down along the side walls I and radially inward beneath the bottom wall 6. The-channels 32 conduct liquid from'the .trough 29 to the inside of the tub 4 through openings 33 in the tub side walls and openings 34 in the flow. However, since the nozzle streams distub bottom walls. The filtered liquid is accord- I hub 36 is joumaled on the sleeve 9 by means of a bearing 38 fixed to a flange 33 within the agitator hub. The upper end of the agitator hub is provided with a socket 40 for a drive nut 4| splined on the upper end of a shaft 42. The

ingly introduced below the liquid level in the onto the filter l4 through the oppositely directed nozzles 24 and 25. The streams discharged from the nozzles flush solid particles of! the top of the filter. The streamshave a scouring action on the filter, which is particularly pronounced in the case of the stream which is directed opposite the direction of rotation of the tub. It is necesshaft 42 extends upward from the bottom wall 20 of the outer casing through a sleeve 43 and through the hub 5. The upper end of the agitator hub 36 is provided with a trough 44,-the upper end of which is adjacent or slightly below the liquid level in the tub. Liquid flowing into the trough 44 flows through openings 45 in the agitator hub 36 into the space between the agitator hub and the hub 5. From here the liquid drains to the outer casing I through openings 4=6 in the sleeve 9. The agitator 35 is oscillated at washing speed or the tub is rotated at centrifugal drying speed by the shaft 42 through suitable mechanism associated therewith. Such mechawashing speed by the shaft 42, and the clothesand washing compound are put into the tub. The oscillation of the agitator causes a circulation,of the liquid in'the tub in the general direction of the arrows 41, and the particles of lint or foreign matter floating on the liquid are therefore directed radially inward toward the trough 44. The liquid flowing into the trough 44 therefore contains the greatest proportion of foreign matter. This liquid flows through the openings 45 in the agitator hub 36 into the space between the agitator hub and the hub 5 and through openings 46 in the sleeve 9 to the outer casing. From' here the liquid is pumped by the pump l1 throughthe oppositely directed nozzles 24 and 25 onto the filter M which removes the solid particles. The liquid flowing through the filter I4 drains to the trough 29 and from the I trough 29 is returned to the tub through openings 33 and 34 beneath the liquid level in the tub. Introducing the filtered liquid beneath the liquid levelin the tub tends to bring the solid particles suspended in the liquid to the surface of the liquid inthe tub where the particlesare directed into the trough 44 by: the currents set up by'the oscillation of the agitator. The

discharge of the filtered liquid beneath the liquidlevel in the tub eliminates any tendency of the filtered liquid to flow directly into the trough 44,

as would be the case if the. filtered liquid were dischargedbn'to the surface oi the liquid in the tub. At the conclusion of the washing operation sary to run the pump 11 only during the first part of the centrifugal drying. During the rotation of the tub the liquid therein is centrifugally discharged through openings 21a. beneath the guard ring 26. The liquid discharged through these openings is stored in the outer casing I,

whence it may be returned to the tub for a succeeding'washing operation after the centrifugally dried clothes are removed from the tub.

What I clairnas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, overflow passages in the tub defining the liquid level therein, a trough above the liquid level in the tub, means providing a passage from said trough to the inside of the tub below the overflow passages, washing means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, a filter above and draining to said trough, and means for collecting liquid overflowing through said overflow passages during washing and discharging said liquid onto the filter.

2. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a filter draining to the tub, a nozzle directing a stream of liquid directly onto the upper surface of the filter and around the filter in one direction, another nozzle directing a stream of liquid directly onto the upper surface of the filter and around the filter in the opposite direction, washing means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, and means for withdrawing liquid from the tub during washing and discharging the withdrawn liquid through said nozzles. a

3. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a filter draining to the tub, nozzles discharging streams of liquid in opposite directions tangential to and directly against the upper surface of the filter,

clothes in the tub, and means for withdrawing liquid from. the tub during washing and discharging the withdrawn liquid through said nozzles.

5. In a washing machine,'a rotatable tub for receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugally I dried, said tub being mounted on a vertical axis the tub 4 is rotatedby the shaft 42 at centrifugal drying speed. At the start of the centrifugal d y the Pu p I1 is operated to discharge liquid and having liquid retaining side walls, a guard ring within the side walls and cooperating therewith to provide a trough, a filter on the tub draining to the trough, overflow openings in the tub side walls below the trough, washing means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, means for withdrawing liquid from adjacent the surface of the liquid in the tub during washing and discharging the withdrawn liquid onto the filter, and means providing a passage from said trough to the inside of the tub below said openings.

6. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving I the overflow passages, washing means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, and means for collecting liquid overflowing through said overflow passages during washing and discharging said liquid onto the filter.

7. In a washing machine, a'rotatable tub for receiving clothes to be washed and centrifugally dried, said tub being mounted on a vertical axis and having liquid retaining side walls, a filter seated on the side walls, centrifugal discharge openings in said side walls below the filter, a guard within the side walls between said openlugs and said filter and cooperating with said side walls to define a trough to which the filter drains, washing means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, means for withdrawing liquid from the tub during washing and discharging the withdrawn liquid onto the filter, and means providing passages in said side wallsleadbelow said openings. v

8. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, overflow passages in the tub defining the liquid level therein,

a filter above the tub, a trough below the filter for receiving liquid flowing through the filter, means for agitating the liquid and clothes in the tub, drain passages from the trough to the inside of and below the overfiow passages in the tub, and means for collecting liquid overflowing through said passages during washing and discharging said liquid onto the filter.

9. In a washing machine, a tub for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a filter above the tub, a trough below the filter for receiving liquid flowing through the filter, an agitator having a hollow hub at the center of the tub and provisions for producing a circulation radially outward at the bottom of the tub, upwardly along the side walls and radially inward at the top of the tub, means for oscillating the agitator for washing, passages for conducting liquid from the out of the tub, means for collecting the liquid flowing through said passages and for discharging said liquid onto the filter during washing,

- and drain passages from the trough to the inside of the tub below said first passages.

HERBERT F. BARIFFI. 

